Mail-bag lock.



No; 829,087. PATENTED AUG. '21, 1906-. R. B. RICE. MAIL BAG LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.5, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. Attorneys \Nltnesses PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

R. 3. RICE. MAIL BAG LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.5, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

) ventor ww mm \NW m: NORRIS PITIRS ca., wasnmcmn. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron'.

RUSSELL B.-RIGE, OF' LAS VEGAS, TERRITORY OF NEWV MEXICO.

IVI'AI-B-BAG 1 LOCK- Patented "Aug. 21 I906.

' Application filed- October 5, 1904. 'S'erialNo. 227,300.

To all whom it mag concern.- I

Be it known thatL'RUssELL'B. RICE, a

' citizen 'of the United States, residingat'Las Vegas, in the county of San Miguel and Territ cry of New Mexico, have invent ed anewand 'usefulMail-Bag Lock,'of which the following is a specification. F

This invention relates to mail-bag fasteners, and' has for its object to providean in proved fastener of thischa'racter which-is especially arranged to be. permanently'carried bya mail-bag, so as to' be in position for'co'nvenient access when it is desiredto close-and fasten the bag.

It is furthermore designed to em'body'the invention in the form ofa 'hasp-lock capable of being snapped or sprung uponthe locking staple or keeper of the bag and arranged to be automatically shifted'into a position for removal from the staple or keeper by the in-.

troduction of akey torelease thel'ocking elements ,of the lock.

With these'and other objects in view the present invention consists in thecombination and arrangement of parts,as-will be-herleinafter more fully described, shown intheaccompanying drawings, and particularly poi nted out in the appended claims,'it beingunder'stood that changesin the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made withinthe scope of'the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any'cf theadvantages of the invention.

In the'accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the upper ormouth portion of a mail-bag constructed for cooperation with the present form of lock with the latter attached thereto in an inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view illustrating a step in the folding of the mouth of the bag to close the same. "Fig; 3 is'jan enlarged sectional view taken through the mouth of the bag when folded and through the hasp-lock with the latter in locked position. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the device in its locked position. Fig. 5isanfend view thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective vi ew of the inner frame of the lock carrying the locking elements parts of the frame being broken away to disclose saidlockingele "ments. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3 witha key in position to unlock the device. Fig. 8 isfan enlarged sectional view on the line 8 8 of-"Fig. 1. Fig. '9 is a detail cross-sectionalview of a modified form of hasp member.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings. v p

"The present'invention includes a special construction of mouth for the mail-bag to cooperate with thelocking elementand also to j'permit of the bag being hung upon holding-framedisclosed in my Patent No. 802,320, dated October 17,1905. I

The bag 1- may be formed of leather, canva-s, or other suitable strong and flexible ma- 'terial"and when open assumes a substan T tia lly rectangular shape. The front and back edgesof the mouth of the bag are rend'ered' rigid by reinforcing strips or; plates 2 and 3,"respectiv ely, which are folded upon andriveted or otherwise secured to thematerial of thebag and are provided midway of their ends with registered longitudinal slots or openings 4 andf5 formed through the respective strips and the bag. The material of each strip which is cut out to form the opening is bent back against the inner'side of the bag, as indicated at 6 in Fig.1.- In addition' to the intermediate openings the front and backedges of the bag are, provided with corresponding transverse slots or openings 7 and 8, located at each side of the respective intermediate; openings. The side edges of the bag are similarly reinforced, each reinforcement consisting of a pair of members 9 "and '10, whic'h have their outer ends hinged to the respective front and back reinforcements, as indicatedat 1 2 and'13,'the 10111014 between the reinforcing members 9 and 10 being breakable inwardly and constituting a hin'ge' by reason of the flexible nature of the bag, so as to. permit of the mouth thereof be ing folded in the manner indicated in'Fig. 2 of the drawings. 'Each of the side reinforcements' is provided with a central longitudinal'slot or opening15 and transverse slots or openingsl6, located at opposite sidesof the intermediate opening and arranged to registe'r with'the corresponding openingsin the front and back edges of the bag, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

At the front and back of the bag are transyerse supporting-flaps fl and 18, secured to theba'g at or adjacent the lower edges of the reinforcements and provided near each end with the respective perforations or eyelets 19 and '20, de'signedfor engagement with the supporting pins of the bag hol'ding' frame disclosed in my copending patent, hereinbefore referred to.

A closure-flap 21 is sewed or otherwise secured to the front of the bag at the lower edge of the reinforcement 2 and is of a size to fold over and embrace the mouth of the bag when closed, as best indicated in Fig, 5. This flap is preferably formed of two layers or pieces of material and is provided at its outer end with a transverse metallic plate or bar 22, secured between the layers or plies of the flap and provided with an intermediate substantially U-shaped or slotted keeper 23,projected at the inner side of the flap and dis posed longitudinally of the plate,'there being staples 24 carried by the plate at opposite sides of the keeper and disposed transversely with respect thereto. The keeper and the staple are arranged to pass through the corresponding slots or openings in the reinforced edges of the mouth of the bag from the rear side thereof in the folded condition of the bag, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, with the closed outer ends of the keeper and staples project- 26, respectively, formed in ed through the central side 0 enings 25 and e inner edge portion of the flap to register with the openings 4 and 7 at the front of the bag.

A very important feature of'this invention will be understood by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein it will be noted that when the bag is open the mouth thereof is not obstructed by the staples 23 and 24.

The purpose of the reinforcing-strips at the mouth of the bag is to render the edges of the bag rigid, or comparatively so, in order that the mouth of the bag may be held open or distended when supported upon my bag-holding frame and at the same time to facilitate the closing of the bag, which is accomplished by breaking inwardly the joints 14 of the side-reinforcing strips and then closing the front and back edges of the bag together, as in Figs. 2 and 3, after which the closure-flap is folded over the mouth of the bag and the keeper and staples introduced through the corresponding openings.

To maintain the mouth of the bag in its folded or closed condition, I employ locking means consisting of a hasp plate or member 27, which is provided with an intermediate longitudinal slot or opening 28. At each side of the slot or opening 28 is a tongue or projection 29, cleft from the hasp and disposed at the inner side thereof in substantial paral- -lelism therewith and capable of being slid into the adjacent staple 24 by an endwise movement of the hasp. At each end of the hasp there is a flexible link or strap 31, which has its opposite ends riveted or otherwise fastened to the has and the closure-flap 21, as indicated at 32, t ereby to permanently connect the hasp with the closure-flap and at the same time permit of the required movement for engaging and disengaging the hasp with the staples or keepers of the bag.

Upon the outer side of the hasp and inclosing the central opening 28 is a housing or casing 33, which is rigidly secured to the hasp by suitable fastenings and is designed to house and protect the working elements of the lock. Within this housing or casing is a hollow frame 34, which carries the working elements of the lock and is open at its inner side, so as to register with the slot or opening 28 of the hasp, and thereby receive the keeper 23. An annular flange 35 extends around the base of the frame and is received within a channel or rabb et 3 6', formed around the base of the housing or casing, whereby theframe is rigidly clamped between the casing and the hasp. Disposed longitudinally and externally upon one side of the frame 34 is a spring latch-arm 37, riveted or otherwise fastened, as at 38, at one end to the frame with its free end portion projected beyond one end of the frame and offset inwardly toward the frame, as at 39, to form a catch member. A

beveled latch-head 40 is carried by the inner side of the latch-arm 37 and projects through an opening 41 in the adjacent side of the casing, so as to snap into engagement with the keeper 23 in a manner as will be hereinafter described. At the opposite side of the frame is a detent consisting of a spring-arm 42, terminally secured to the frame, as at 43, and twisted, as at 44, to bring the outer free portion of the shank into a plane at substantially right angles to the casing, with said free portion projected beyond the ends of the casing and then extended laterally across said end of the'casing to form an arm 45, underlying the catch portion 39 of the latch-arm 37 and provided with a beveled head 46 to en gage'the catch portion 39 of the. latch-arm 37 and thereby lock the same against outward movement away from the frame. Within the frame is a bowed spring 47, which has its inner end secured to the back of the frame, as at 48, and its free portion bowed forwardly and projected through the open side of the frame, so as to lie within the slot 28 of the hasp-plate at what will be termed the rear end of the frame and in rear of the latch-head 40. A trip-arm 49 is carried by-the detentarm 42 and has a lateral branch 50 projected through an opening 51 in the adjacent side of the-frame, so as to overlap the spring 47 in contact therewith, whereby the detent-arm 42 is controlled by the movement of the spring 47, as will be hereinafter described, to engage its catch-head 46 withthe catch-terminal 39 of the latch-arm 37, so as to lock the latter against outward movement from the frame.

To provide for releasing the detent from the latch-arm, as shown in Fig. 7, a key channel or way 52 is formed transversely in the rear end of the casing or housing 33 in rear of the frame and above the detent-arm 45, so as to direct the key 53 into engagement with the upper side of the arm 45 to initially depress IIO the latter out of contact with the latch-arm and then to force the latch-arm away from the frame, and thereby withdraw the latch head 40 from the keeper 23, and thus release the lock. The key is provided with a longitudinal bifurcation 54 to receive the pin or cross-bar. 55, extending transversely across the keyway, the purpose of the pin or projection being to form an obstruction and pre-' keeper 23 until it snaps into engagement with the rear side of the adjacent arm of the keeper with said arm of the keeper embraced between the rigid head 40 and the spring 47, the latter being moved out of its normalposition, and thereby placed under tension by engagement with the keeper. By reason of the spring 47 being moved out of its normal position it lifts the trip-arm 49, and thereby draws the detent 45 into positive engagement with the catch portion 39 of the latch-arm 37, thereby to positively lock the latch in engagement with the keeper.

To release the lock, the key 53 is introduced into the key channel or way 52, whereby it first depresses the detent-arm 45 and disengages the same from the latch-arm 37, and upon further inward movement of the key it strikes the projected end of the latch-arm and moves the same laterally sufficient to disengage the latch-head 40 from the keeper, whereupon the tension of the spring 47 is sufficient to automatically shift the hasp to the right, and thereby automatically release the projections 29 from the staples 24, and the hasp is then free to be swung away' from the keeper 23.

It is preferred to have the hasp 27 in the nature of a channel-bar, as clearly indicated in Figs. 5 and 7, for the purpose of closely embracing the staples 24 to prevent lateral play of the hasp. This channel-bar form may be produced by longitudinal flanges 27 or the hasp may be made arcuate in cross-section or semitubular, as at 27 in Fig. 9, it of course being provided with offset tongues, one of which has been indicated at 29 Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a lock, the combination with a hollow frame to receive a keeper, of a spring latcharm secured externally to one side of the frame and provided with a latch-head working in an opening in the frame, and a detent carried by the opposite side of the frameand having a detachable engagement with the latch-arm to retain the latter in locked position.

2. In a lock, the combination of a hollow frame to receive a keeper, a spring latch-arm carried externally by one side of the frame and projected at one end thereof, a head carried by the latch-arm and working in an opening in the frame, and a substantially L- shaped spring-detent carried externally by the opposite side of the frame with its transverse member extending across one end of the frame and detachably engaging the free projected end of the latch-arm to lock the same.

3. In a lock, the combination with a casing, of a hollow frame inclosed therein, the casing and the frame having registered openings for the reception of a keeper, a spring latch-arm carried externally by one side of the frame with its free end projected beyond one end of the frame, a latch-head carried by the arm and working in an opening in the frame, and a detent carried by the opposite side of the frame and projected across one end of the frame into engagement with the free end of the latch-arm, the casing being provided with a key-guideway leading to the detent and the free end of the latch-arm across one end of the frame.

4. In a lock, the combination of a hollow frame to receive a keeper, a latch-arm carried externally by one side of the frame with its free end projected beyond one end of the casing, a latch-head carried by the arm and working in an opening in the frame, a detent carried externally by the other side of the frame and detachably engaging the latcharm, a movable member carried within the frame for contact with the keeper to be displaced thereby, and a trip member carried by the detent and disposed in the path of movement of the movable member to draw the detent into engagement with the latch-arm when the movable member is displaced.

5. In a lock, the combination of a hasp plate having an opening to receive a keeper and provided at opposite sides of the opening with ofiset tongues upon the inner side of the hasp, a casing carried by the outer side of the hasp and inclosing the opening therein, a hollow frame rigidly secured within the casing and spaced from'the casing, a spring latcharm secured externally to one side of the frame with its free end projected at one end of the frame, a latch-head carried by the latch-arm and working in an opening in the frame, a substantially L-shaped spring-detent carried externally by the opposite side of the frame with one member disposed transversely across one end of the frame and having a catch-head for detachable engagement with the free end of the latch-arm, a bowed spring secured at one end within the back of the frame with its free end disposed in rear of the 1atch head andin position to be dis placed by the keeper, and a trip inember carried by the detent and provided with a trans- Verse portion projected through anopening in the frame into the path of the spring, the casingbeing providedwith a key-guideway across one endof the frame and leadihg to the detent and the free end of the latch-arm.

6. The combinationofa bag having correspon'diiig openings in opposite sides (thereof, a closure-flap. carried by one side o fl the bag to embrace the mouthofzthe bag when closed, a keeper andstaples at opposite sides thereof carried. by, the closure-flap tobe inserted through the corresponding openings of the gage the keeper and prevent endwise movement of'the haspfrom-thekeeper.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing'as my own I have hereto 'aflixed my signature in the presence oftWo Witnesses.

v A RUSSEISL BE Riciii Witnesses: i I

Mrs. E. ML Ron- R,

NORA" E. FLOWERS.- 

